Method of moving hot fluids.



u L DOHERTY METHOD or movms HOT mums. APPLICATION FILED IULYIG. IQIZ. 1 1 87,052 Patented J une 13, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m "I I I IIIII W a H. DOHERTY.

METHOD OF MOVING HQT FLUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED IULY16.I912.

Patented June 13, 1916.

2 SHEETS-4M 2.

HENRY L. DOHERT'Y,

OF NEVJ YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF MOVING HOT FLUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Original applications filed November 15, 1911, Serial Nos. 660,449 and 660,450. Divided and this application filed July 16, 1912.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. Donnn'rr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Moving Hot Fluids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to methods of moving hot fluids, and in particular to a method of moving hot gases by ordinary blowers.

The object of my invention is to make practicable the moving of hot gases by means of ordinary blowers. when the temperature of the gases is high enough to cause injury to the blowers, without mate rially reducing the temperature of the gases at the place of use.

This application is a division of my applications Ser. Nos. 660449 and (360450, filed Nov. 15, 1911, in which the subject matter of the present application is disclosed. but not claimed.

Briefly stated, my invent-ion comprises the passage of the hot gases through a heat interchanger in which the current of gas is doubh l back upon itself, the initial cooling of the said gases at a mid point in thci:

' path through the said heat interchangcr,

and the continuous exertion upon the said gases at the locality in their path at which said' initial cooling is established of the necessary propulsive ellort to move the gas, whereby the hot gases may be moved by the ordinary fan or positive blowers and delivered by the same without material reduction of their initial temperature.

By my invention, I am able to. use hot producer or other gas. at substantially the temperature at which it leases the generator, in. furnaces in which the pros. are existing is above that in the generator, without in parting any additional heat to the gas. The heat of the gases discharging from the furnace is thus left available for utilization in other ways, such as the heating of the air used in sustaining combustion in the furnace in which the gas is burned, or in other furnaces. E 'en where the combustion gases cannot be economically otherwise used than in preheating the air and gas supplied to the furnace, my invention permits of a much greater economy in operation in that the dcliv to the regenerators the furna i'c air... at a comparatively high term Serial No. 709,797.

perature. It is thus possible to preheat both the air and gas used in the furnace to nearly or quite the temperature of the furnace. This is never possible in the case of ordinary methods of firing with producer gas owing to the fact that the combined thermal capacities per degree of the air and gas is considerably in excess of the thermal capacity of the products of the combustion per degree. There are also many other advantageous uses to which my invention may be put in metallurgical and industrial opera tions.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown, more or less diagrammatically, an apparatus embodiment of my invention adapted to advantageously carry out the process which is the subject of this application.

Figure l. is a vertio apparatus on the line I of Fig. 4; looking '1 the horizontal cross-section the line CD of Fig. a. section on the line E, F), b, inn to the right. Fig. ll i 7 a vertical section of the apparatus on th line A-B-of Fig. 3

and AB of Fig. 1. F 5 is a partial i'ragznental vertical section, generally like that of Fig. i but on an enlarged scale and showing a modification.

v The form of apparatus shown in the drawings is one adapted to carry out my invention in connection with the method oi heating a bank of vertical retorts which is disclosed in my application Ser. No.

670339 referred to above.

1 is the gas producer, having a fuelpreheating chamber 2, a gas-generating chamb- 3 and a :iuel-coolin chamber a.

is the la .4 pr. a. plurality of p D J; 6 for the gas going to the fan blower 7, and a plurality of passages 8 for the gas discharging from the fan. These passages are formed by dia- .ph'ragms 9 built into a wide flue left in the front wall 10 of the gas producer 1. Nostrils 11 in the arch 12 establish communica tion between the passages 6 and the gas-colle'cting space 13 of the gas-generating chamher 3, which is formed under the arch 12 between the free face 1% of the fuel andthe ortion 15 of the front wall of the producer.

space 16 left in the heat-interchange:

1 Y r-.3, com- In the arrangement of apparatus shown, the fan blower 7, which is of the Sirroco type, well known to the art, is directly mounted on the shaft 22- of the motor 23. The casing of the motor is of a special design arranged so that it may be bolted directly to a heavy plate 24, which is in turn of completely burned and bolted or otherwise fastened to a frame in the front wall 10 around the opening 38 in the front wall. The plate 24 is preferably made in two sections arranged to be bolted together over the shaft 22, an axial semicircular bearing being borne by each section. The plate 24: having been assembled and the casing of motor 23 bolted thereto, the plate is itself fastened in position. The shaft 22,

should be of such length that the exterior face of the fan casing will make as close a it as is practicable with the partition 19. Upon. operation of the fan 7, gas is drawn from the space 16 through the opening 21 and discharged. into the space 20. A plurality of passages 25 in the upper part of wall 10, establish communication betweenthe space 20 and the lines 8.

A plurality of passages 26 in the lower portion of the part 18 of wall 10, establish communication between the lines 8 and the cross-fine 27, which in turn is in communication with the gas fines 28, 28 which conduct the gas to the flue 29 from which. it

discharges into the lower combustion flue 30 of the furnace 31, through the nostrils 32,

The maindraft current supplied to theproducer enters the same through-the passage 33, which is communication with a draftdstributing space .34 formed under the arc v the rear wall 36 and the free surfa the fuel. Tl'iis draft current may be air and steam after the usual practice, air and gases of complete combustiou, combustion gases alone, when the temperature of the same is sufficient to sustain the reaction in the producer, or any practicable combination of gases that it may be considered desirable to use.

. In the particular embodiment of my invention selected for illustration, the draft current comprises a very hot balanced draft incompletely ses. The total volume of the draft regulated with respect to the of carbon dioxid and water temperature at the burned current is proper vapor.

a .1. in

through the fuel in the preheating chamber 2, heating and distilling the fuel'a-nd cooling the gas, and then forced into the cooler t by blower 39. This present invention, however, is not concerned with the composition of the draft current used and the specific method of generating gas, and a de-' tailed description of the methodf of operating the producer is therefore unnecessary.

The active constituents of the draft-current, in passing through theignited fuel in gas-generating chamber 3, react with the fuel to produce carbon monoxid and hydrogen, principally in relative proportions depending upon the composition of the draft current, the temperature of the fuel, and various other conditions. Relatively small quantities of methane, and. various hydrocarbon gases derived from the volatile matter of the fuel are also present.

The main current of the combined gaseous stream, including such of the original constituentsof the draft current as were un acted upon by the fuel, pass outof the free I surface 14 of the fuel into the gas-collecting space13. From 13, under the induction exerted by the fan 7, the gases pass through the nostrils 11 into the lip-cast flues 6,-

through the space 16 to the opening 19 communicating with the suction inlet of the fan 7, thence through the fan to the space 20, through passages 25 to the downcast fines 8, and down through flues 8 in contact with the diaphragms 9 separating the fines 8 from the lines 6.

At the start of operations, with the lines and setting cold, the gases ascending through the lines (3 are subjected to a de cided cooling action as they ascend. Since the gases are in contact with the heattra'ns mitting diaphragi'ns 9, these latter, there fore, assume a temperature gradually increasing from approximately the temperature at which the gases reach the space 16, at the top. to approximately the tempera-.

ture at \vhlch the gases enter the fines 6 at the bottom. The gases leaving the fan and passing drwnwa'rd through the downcast lines 8 in contact with the other sides of diaphragms 9, are subject to reheating by heat transmitted through the diaphragms.

Owing to the impossibility of transferring heat from one current to the other without 1 eater or less temperature ditierencebetween the two currents, the initial is c of heat to a etc, the temp c at which the gases'dischargc trom i 8 1S "practically negligible, from the point of View of heat economy.

It is plain that, as long as the quantity of gas passed through the heat-interchanger is kept within the heat-transferring capacity of the heatdnterchanger, a temperature differential having once been established between the gaseous current in space 16 and.

the gaseous current discharging from space '13. Wlll thereafter be maintained indefinitely. so long as no extraneous heat is imparted to the current discharging from the fan. henever the fan is started up, however, after a temporary shutdown too short to permit. of the cooling of the setting. or when the fanis run at a speed that moves the gas at a rate beyond the heat-transferring capacity of the apparatus 5, it may be that sullicient cooling action will not be exerted upon the gas passing to the fan through flucs (3 and connecting passages to reduce its temperature to a point that will not injure the fan. ll'hen. due to any cause such a condition arises. the necessary of the gas must be ac omplished by means. In th embodiment of my oo herein described, I meet this con- .in in one of two ways. First, I may open. valve l! on the unmet-tion ll from the u aste gas stacks 42 41L to the gas space 1 In this cas relati 'cly cool waste. combustion from the stacks -'l.2---li3. which have been cooled in the recupmrators 43-43 by the. air supplied for sustaining the combustion in the combustion tl' ns of the fur" nace Ell. are drawn down through the connection ll into the space ltl. to mingle with the gas entering in from lines o. and there by reduce the temperature of the mixture to a point that will not injure the fan 7. In this case. the initial direct cooling action of th (mil comlnt-alion gas s upon thedral't going to the tan. is 'ncreascd by the fact, ti p liu- ":Iiormsed roiuinc of gases passing tlrazugh thrdowna-ast tines. increases the heat-carrying; rapariiy oi this stream of gust-s over that of the g: sea ascending thi'oiwli the lines o. This increases the raiditv of the abstraction of heat from the ascending gases, with the result that the tem erature of thc gaseous stream reaching the space in tall progressively if the conditions emain unchanged. Therefore, the proper heat dillcrential having once been rstablbhed. the valve 1,0 should begradually closed until fairly constan temperature conditions have been established.

The introduction of the combustion gases into the producer gas has, of course, the cti ect of diluting the latter in proportion to the volznne introduced. In other words,

has the efiect of diminishing the calorific value of the producer gas per unit of volume, but does not, of course, reduce the actual number of potential thermal units carried by the gas going to the furnace. In many cases this result is advantageous, since it has the effect of reducing the flame temperature in the combustion fines of the fur nace without reducing the actual heat generation therein. \Vhen a high temperature is desired in the furnace, however, the quantity of combustion gases introduced should be reduced to the minimum quantity that will insure of the gases from the producer reaching the fan 7 ata sufficiently low temperature. This establishment of the necessary temperature in the gases at the fan, when the highest available temperature is desired in the furnace, is best etl'ccted by the second method. According to this, instead of opening valve 40, valve 44 on the connection 45 from the discharge pipe or blower 39 to the connection 41 below valve ll), is opened. Instead of (OIHlJllSlZlUD gases. the cold and relatively rich gas that has been drawn oil from the upper part of the fuel preheating chamber 2. flows to the space 16 and mingles with the hotter producer gas. The degree of opening of valve "H'- is of course regulated to permit only the volume. l'tq lll'til to enter ll). The. proper temperature diil'crence having once been established. the flow of cool gas to ill is gradually reduced. as in the first method of establishing the tempmature dilfcrentiul. until constant conditions have been established. liy this second method, the prmflucer gas is enriched instead of impoverished since the gas drawn ofi' of the top of chamber 2 has been enriched by the addition of volatilixed hydrocarbon eiuupounds ol' the coal.

\Vhen applied L thc operation of gas pro ducers and othcr gas generators of the ordinary types. without the return of any of the producer gas to the gasgcnerating chamb r, unless some other practicable cooling agent is available. the initial cooling may he ofhctml by pla ing an ordinary coil ol' piping iii the space ll' and circulating c on thcrethrough. The area of the coil must. of coursig be sulliciont to effect. the temperature reduction desired; or an exterior air-cooled conduit may be provided. through which the gas is passed efore going to the tan. In this (use. the upper terminations of the fines (Y are temporarily closed by dampers and the gas is drawn oil to the external cooling passage. cooled and returned to the space 16. Since the extraneous cooling only required during a brief period (as long as the parity of the heatinterchanger is not e.\:- (iiflltlll the loss in elliciency due to the heat abstracted from the gas by the coils or other apparatus is not appreciable. In Fig. 5: is shown morc or less diagrannnatically .i, fe

upon a strenn: of

vi e wherein such initial coolir ion fected. hi this structure the assages (i may be temporarily closed ofi' byqilam )er and the gases then pass through flue 6, port 4.? and bypass port 48, valve 4) being open to the space ubove'the damper 'Where they may be cooled by Water circulating in pipes 50, thereafter going to the fan in the manner horcinbefore described.

Itis obvious that the temperature range through which the gas may be carried in the heat-intcrchanger depends, only, upon the nature and extent of the heat-trai'ismitting surface of the latter.

Having described my invention, I claim;

1 The method of moving hot gaseous media by gasmoving apparatus, which conr prises, establishing heat transferring rein ti onship between the gaseous current flowing to said apparatus, and the gaseous current discharged from said apparatus, Withdrnwing heat from the first portion of the said gaseous current ixmnediately in advance of said apparatus by bringing said first portion into heat-transferring relationship with another fluid, and rejecting the heat so withdrawn.

2. The method of moving hot fluids which y l e ofconlprises, exerting a propulsive effort upon a stream of fluid, at a mid point in a conduit, initially cooling said fluid by bringing the same into heat-transferring relationship with another body of fluid in advance of the locality at which the said propu sive eil'ort is exerted, and establishing heat-transfe ring relationship between the portion of said stream flowing toward said locality and the portion of said stream flo ing away from said locality.

3. The method of moving; hot fluids, which comprises, exerting a propulsive effort upon a, stream of fluid by means of a suitable mechanism at 21V mid point in a corn dnit, initially Withdrawing from said fluid at u locality in said conduit in advance of mechanism suflicient heat to reduce the temperature of said fluid at such locality to :1 point that ll not injuresaid i s bringing sad iinid into heatl another hotly inanslerring rt i i, c portion of said strewn flowing away from said mechanism and the portion of said stream flowing to said mechanisn'i, whereby the cooied portion of said stream flowing away from said. mechanism is reheated by the portion of said stream flowing toward said mechanism, and the latter portion of said stream is cooled by the portion of said stream flowing away from said mechanisni.

s, The method of moving hot duh-s, which comprises, (2 ting a propulsive eiiort in by menus ot a s able mechanism at midpoint in coiuluil,

ii'iitiially witi'nlmwing from said lluid at u locality in said. conduit in advance of said mechanism sullicient heat to reduce the ten;' perature of said fluid at such locality to a point that will not injure said mechanism by bringing said fluid into heat-transferring relationship with another fluid, and establishing countencurrent flow in heatlransferring relationship between thc porlion of said stream flowing away from said mechanism and the portion of said stream flowing to said mechanism, whereby the. rel ati ely cool portion of said stream llowii'ig away from said mechanism is reheated by the portion of said stream flowing toward said mechanism, and the latter portion of said stream coo ed by the portion of said stream flowing away from. said n'iechanism.

"The method of moving hot fluids, which comprises, exerting a propulsive effort upon a stream of fluid, by a suitable propelling means at a mid-point in a conduit, witlnlrawing from the port-ion of said stream of hot fluid flowing tosoid propelling means suflicient heat to reduce the temperature of said fluid to a point that will not injure said propelling means by bringing said stream of hot fluid into heat-transfcrring relationship with another fluid, rejecting the heat Withdrawn from the first portion oi said fluid approaching said propelling means. and thereafter transferring the heat is iihdiu'wn from the portion oi the said stream flowing to said propelling me: us to the portion of al stream flowinq away from said propcll -g means, whereby the latter portion of said strewn is reheated,

G. T he method of moving hot fluids, which comprises, exerting a propulsive effort upon a. stream of fluid by the action of a suitable propelling means at a midpoint in a conduit, continuously Withdrawing from the portion of said liuid stream flowing to said propelling means sufficient heat to reduce the temperature of said fluid to a point;-that Will not iniure said progiaelling means by bringing said stream of fluid into lieniJmnsl'e-rring' relationship with another land rejecting the heat vi lid r1: ins: portion of. l fluid. up propelling means, and h t ously transterring the heat With-t, the portion of the said stream flowing to said propelling means to the portion of said stream flowing away fronr said propelling means, to reheat the latter portion of said stream to a. temperature approximating its original temperature.

'l. The method of movinghot fluids, which ises, exerting; a propulsive efi'ort upon n of lluid by the action of a suitable p opelling meane, introducing into the resin of hot fluid flowing tmverd said propelling inflans a sui'iicicnt volume of rela- ..uid to reduce the temperature of the resulting fluid mirture to a point that will notinjure said propelling means, and establishing heat-transferring relationship between the stream of tluid liowing away from said propelling means and the stream of lluid flowing to -ard said propelling means, where v the former of said streams is reheated by the heat of the latter of said streams 8. he method of moving hot fluids. which comprises. introducing into the stream of hot fluid flowing toward a pro 'ielling means a suliieient volume of relatively cool tluid to reduce the temperature of the resulting lluid mixture to a point that will not injure said propelling means, exerting a propulsive etl'ort upon the cooled fluid mixture by the action of said propelling means, and estalr lishing counter-current flow in heat transferring relationship between the. stream of fluid discharging from said propelling means and the stream of fluid flowing toward said propelling means, whereby the former of said streams is reheated as it-fiows away from said propelling means and the latter of said streams is cooled as it approaches said propelling means.

9, The method of moving hot fluids, which cmnprises, introducing into the stream of h t tluid flowing toward a. propelling means a sullieicnt; volume of relatively cool lluid to reduce the temperature of the resulting fluid mixture to a point that will. not injure said propelling means, exerting a propulsive eil'ort upon the cooled fluid mixture by the action of said pro 'ielling means, Q lilbll5lliug coiuiter-ciu'rcnt flow in limit-transfer ring relationship between the stream of liquid i'lirecharging from said propelling means and the streani of liquid flowing toward said r'opelling means, whereby the former 01' said l1 eams is reheated as it flows away from said propelling meansaud the latter of said streams is cooled as it ap proaches said prt'ipelling means, and regulating the volume of the cooled lluid introduct-d until. the desired normal temperature condition has been established in said fluid stream at said propelling means.

10. The uu-thod ol' moving not eombustible gas from a gas generator to a romliustion furnace without substantial redu tion of tcmperatuie in th has as delivered to said furnace, whi h romprises, conducting said combustible g -is from said generator to said l'urnat're ill g. a v-uitabhconduit,impart,- ing a propul ive i-ll'orl to mid gas at a midp iinl in -iid onduit, li t the :H'tlun of a suitans, cooling a portion oi said hot we adding e said Mir-loll nor ,on oim l rouiliuslilil o the tint lmlllnll i' iillll hot ombustible gas approa hmg -aid gu't-pu'lliug means to reduce the temperatur ol the ill --l, portlon said gas rea h'ug Sal i propelling means to a dealihpropelling ungree that will not injure the same, and then establishing counter-currenttlow in heattransferring relationship between the stream of relatively cool gas discharging from said propelling means and the stream of initially hot gas approaching said propelling means, whereby the former of said streams is reheatei'l to approximately its original temperature while the latter of said streams is cooled to the temperature desired at, said propelling means.

11. The method oi"; moving hot con1bustible 1 from a generator to a combustion furnace. without substantial reduction of temperature in the gas as delivered to said furnace, which comprises, conducting said combustible gas from said generator to said furnace through a suitable conduit, imparting a propulsive etl'ort to said gas at a midpoint in said conduit by the action of a suitable propelling means, withdrawing suilieient heat from the gas approaching said propelling means b0 reduce the temperature of said gas to a point that will notinjure said propelling means by bringing said gas into heat-transferring relationship with a heatnbsorbing fluid, rejecting the heatabsorhing fluid uscdto withdraw heat from the first portion of said combusible gas approaching said propelling means, and trans terrin g the heat withdraw: from succeeding portions of said gas to the relatively cool gas discharging from said propelling means, whereby the said gas is reheated to approxi inately its original temperature before it is introduced into said combustion chamber.

12. The method of moving hot combustible gas from a gas generator toa combustion furnace without substantial reduction of temperature in the gas as delivered to said furnam, which comprises, conducting said combustible gas from said generator to said furnace through a vsuitable conduit, impart ing a propulsive eli'ort to said gas at a mid point in said conduit by the action of a suitable propelling means, cooling a portion of said hot combustible gas, adding the said cooled portion of said gas to the first por tion of said but combustible gas approaching said propelling means to cool the said first portion of gas to a temperature that will not injure said propelling means, withdrawing heat from HllCUOHllllg portion of said hot gas flowing from said generator, and transferring the heat withdrawn to the relatively cool gas flowing from said propelling means to said liurnacc by establiShv lug counter-curreut low in heat-transferring relationship between the two streams nf gas. to cool the gas as it approaches said propelling means and t reheat said gas to approximately its original ttuuperature as it, Hows t'roni :ultl propelling means to said furnace.

13. The nu-thod of moving but combustible gas from a gas generator to a combustion furnace without substantial reduction of temperature in the gas as delivered to said furnace, which comprises, conducting said combustible. gas from said generator to said furnace through a suitable conduit, imparting a propulsive effort to said gas at a midpoint in said conduit by the action of a suitable propelling means, introducing into the initially hot combustible gas appreaching said propelling means a sufficient volume of relatively cool gas to reduce the temperature of the resulting mixture to a point that will not injure the said propelling means, and establishing counter-current flow in heattransferring relationship between the relatively cool gas flowing from saidipropelling means to said furnace and the hot generator gas flowingto said propelling means, whereby the said gas cooled as it approaches said propelling means and reheated to approximately its original temperature as it flows to said furnace.

14. The method of moving hot combos tible gas from a gas generator to a combustion furnace without substantial reduction of temperature in the gas as delivered to said furnace, which comprises, conducting said combustible gas from said generator to said furnace through a suitable conduit, imparting a propulsive effort to said gas at a mid-point in said conduit by the action of a suitable propelling means, introducing into the initially hot'combustible gas approaching said propelling means a, suiiicientvolume or" relatively cool gas to reduce the temperature of the resulting mixture to a point that will not injure the said propelling means, establishing counter-curreut How in heat-transferring relationship be tween the relatively cool flowing from said propelling means to said furnace and the not generator gas flowing to said propelling means, whereby the said gas is cooled it approaches said propelling means and reheated to approximately its original temperature as'it flows to said fur mice and regulating the volume of relatively cool gas introduced to establish and to maintain the normal desired temperature at the said propelling means.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 13th day of July A. D. 1912 7 WILLIAM DnusY. 

